Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a card reading device for receiving and/or passing on information provided by or for a card. The card reading device has a compartment for receiving the card and a locking mechanism.
There are many different types of card reading devices. One of the possible embodiments is known from European Patent EP 0 472 692 B1, in particular from FIGS. 1 to 3 therein and the description referring to them. The card reading device described in the European Patent EP 0 472 692 B1 is intended for the reading of so-called SIM cards or SIMs. SIMs are currently used in particular in mobile phones for subscriber identification. Here, "SIM" is the abbreviation for "Subscriber Identity Module". In particular on account of their small dimensions (25*15 mm), SIMs are increasingly replacing the relatively large chip cards previously used for this purpose.
The SIM in general has on its surface a multiplicity of surface contacts (generally 6 or 8 of them), which are precisely defined in their position and have to be contacted by the card reading device to permit an exchange of information. To make it possible to prevent the SIMs from being incorrectly placed or inserted into the card reading device, the essentially rectangular SIM has in one of its corner portions a so-called (standardized) polarizing bevel.
SIMs of this type are pushed into the card reading device known from European Patent EP 0 472 692 B1, to be more precise into its compartment provided for this purpose. If the SIM is correctly oriented, the portion of it having the polarizing bevel protrudes rearward out of the card reading device and can be brought into engagement there with an arresting mechanism.
The arresting mechanism is formed by a holding arm, extending from the card reading device, and an arresting element provided at the free end in the form of a stop. The stop is configured and positioned in such a way that, in the properly, i.e. correctly oriented, inserted state of the SIM, and only in this state, it can grip behind the rear edge of the SIM protruding out of the card reading device, to be more precise essentially its polarizing bevel, and can thereby arrest the SIM in its reading position.
The holding arm can be pushed away resiliently by hand in order not to be in the way of inserting the SIM into the card reading device and removing it from the same in a way which cannot be overcome.
The relatively laborious insertion of the SIM into the card reading device involves pushing the holding arm away manually. However, damage and malfunctions of the SIM are possible as a consequence of an incorrectly oriented insertion of the SIM into the card reading device, for which the arresting mechanism evidently cannot offer any reliable protection. Understandably such problems cannot be ignored.
A card reading device that is significantly improved in this respect is the card reading device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,777,120. This card reading device has a resiliently held locking element which, in the starting position, protrudes into the compartment and is constructed in such a way that the card can make contact with a first region or a second region of the locking element when it is pushed into the compartment, in particular in a way dependent on its orientation when it is pushed in. When the card runs onto its first region, the locking element can be pushed away by it, releasing the compartment for continued pushing in of said card. When the card runs onto the second region of the locking element, the latter keeps the compartment blocked and thereby prevents continued pushing in of the card. Such a locking element makes it possible that the card can only be inserted into the card reading device in a correctly oriented manner. However, as before, an arresting mechanism is required for arresting the card in the reading position, with the result that the structural configuration and/or operation of the card reading device remains relatively complicated.